middle ground
by BeyondMyReach
Summary: In which Yusuke's country lost the war against Shura's and Shura wants to come to an agreement with Yusuke. [Historical Always Human AU]


I actually wrote this a while ago and Aori beta-ed it for me, but it never quite felt right to post it. So, yeah, posting it now because I'm a sucker for this type of fic, apparently. This is rated T, so nothing really happens, but before you proceed, do note that Shura's around 16 and Yusuke's like 20 in this fic.

* * *

"Go on," Shura said, waving the guards away after they brought General Urameshi Yusuke into the bathing room. "Don't let me keep you."

The guards exchanged a look between themselves, before one of them said beseechingly, "Your Majesty..."

Shura raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's me," he said, "and I gave my order, soldiers. Do one of you disagree?"

The guards fell to their knees. "We dare not," they exclaimed. "Only… General Urameshi is a skilled fighter, Your Majesty. It took many soldiers to pin him down, and…"

 _And you're not known for your fighting prowess,_ they didn't say. After all, Shura didn't earn his kinghood through combat but instead, through political and strategic maneuvering and a copious amount of luck.

Shura deliberately looked at Yusuke, at his chained arms and legs, his tattered clothes and the bruises and cuts that could be seen between the folds, and then at the nervous way the guards kept Yusuke between them and the hands they kept firmly on their swords the entire time.

"I think even I can handle a chained prisoner," Shura said mildly, and the guards flushed and exchanged another wordless look between themselves. "Go, and don't come back without my explicit command. That is my order."

The soldiers hesitated for a beat, before they finally bowed in submission.

"As commanded, Your Majesty. We'll wait right outside," they said and quickly exited, closing the door behind them. Shura could see their shadows resettle behind the shoji door, literally right outside, and wondered if it would worth it to bellow at them to move farther away.

"What do you want?" Yusuke spoke, his voice coarse and unafraid, and Shura turned his attention to him.

"General Yusuke, we meet again," Shura said, nodding towards him. The first time was when his men, dirtied and bloodied after a long battle, finally managed to bring him - Urameshi Yusuke, the general that had been the source of most of their military issues ever since the war started - before Shura. "I was hoping we could come to an agreement, actually."

Shura ignored Yusuke's skeptical raise of eyebrow. "My country and yours had fought for three years, and finally, it came to an end. Your foolish king nearly wet himself when he saw us at his doorstep and immediately signed the treaty that that essentially gave his country to us" - Yusuke's face twisted with pain - "and now my plans to integrate the countries are well-underway. All is well, you would think, and yet…"

Shura looked at Yusuke, eyes sharp.

"Yet," Yusuke agreed, face giving away nothing at all, even as his eyes flashed with pride.

"Yet." Shura nodded. "Your platoon won't give in," he said, "because you won't give in. My jailers are frankly a little scared of you guys. You're the ones behind the bars, and yet you wouldn't yield or cower. They're convinced with every day passing that your platoon is planning a jailbreak and with passing day and nothing happens, they're convinced that your plans are growing more elaborate and the probability of your success, rapidly increasing."

The corner of Yusuke's lips quirked.

"It's not true," Shura continued. Yusuke's eyes sharpened as they sliced to him, though Yusuke said nothing. "I separated your people all throughout different sectors' jail and increased guards in each one. Even if you want to escape, you won't, not unless you're sure that you can safely find and release everyone out of the Palace. My men are scared of a mirage, the former shadow of what you guys once were, because they remembered all too clearly your platoon's fighting prowess and will, and how that nearly brought down our platoon even when outnumbering yours three-to-one."

Yusuke took in a breath. "What do you want?"

Shura raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that not my question? My country hopes to assimilate yours into ours. To slaughter its former defenders" - Yusuke froze - "would be such a bad beginning, wouldn't you agree? And yet, I would rather not keep your platoon in jail indefinitely, when that would be a waste of my resource and your people's talents." Shura looked at Yusuke. "Any miraculous suggestion, General Yusuke?"

"Let us go," he offered glibly, the quirk of his lips conveying he knew how likely _that_ would be.

Shura found himself charmed despite himself. "Interesting, though what guarantee do I have that you would not regather and try to attack my country to avenge for the death of yours?"

The quirk of Yusuke's lips turned wry, grew darker. "None," he said. "I would kill you if given the chance."

Shura walked towards Yusuke, edging the enormous bath in the middle - deep as any pool for grown-sized men - and the water that nearly splosh over the sides. "Is that so, General? Even with your former King abdicated? Anyone with half the brain would realize that such solution would only bring about chaos." Shura walked past Yusuke, ignoring him tensing, and stopped right behind him. Yusuke whirled around. "Perhaps you should cool down."

Shura placed a hand against Yusuke's chest, and the last thing he saw of Yusuke was the widening of his eyes, and then Shura pushed him into the water.

"Shi -" he gurgled as water entered his lungs and then he was flailing, arms and legs struggling to reach the surface as the chains around them _clanked_ and weighed him down.

"Any other suggestions, General Yusuke?" Shura asked, walking along the border of the bath to follow Yusuke's path of struggle. Yusuke flailed and gasped a second of fresh air, and then he was sinking again. Shura was mildly impressed when, through the clear bath water, he saw Yusuke allow himself to sink and the moment he reached the bottom, he bent his knees and propelled himself towards the side, hands outreached for the ledge of the bath.

Shura was there when he surfaced and Yusuke coughed, water trailing down his body and rolling down from his brown wide eyes. Shura almost felt sorry as he kicked Yusuke's hand off the ledge. "No," he said, as Yusuke sunk. "Try again, General."

Yusuke allowed himself to sink to propel himself up later again, and Shura ignored the spark of disappointment of how unoriginal Yusuke was as he wondered how many more times he could kick Yusuke back into the water before he pass out.

Yusuke surfaced again and just as Shura readied himself to kick Yusuke's hand, it wrapped around Shura's ankle.

Shura only had a moment to glance down at Urameshi Yusuke grinning up at him with a shit-eating grin full of vengeance, and then Yusuke yanked him down with a _clank_ and both of them were sinking.

Shura cursed as he fell and tried to grab onto Yusuke, but it seemed like third time was the charm and Yusuke was getting used to being in the water, chains and all. Yusuke danced out of his reach and gave him the middle finger before he propelled himself upward again. Shura pushed himself forward using the last of his strength, since the unexpected fall gave him no time to take any breath in preparation and his lungs _burned_ , and closed his hand around Yusuke's ankle just as he passed.

Bubbles escaped Yusuke's mouth the second Shura made contact in what was mostly likely a curse, Yusuke having no doubt made the connection that Shura just used his own trick again him. Yusuke tried shaking Shura off by vigorously kicking as he swam, but Shura stubbornly held on, and then they surfaced.

Yusuke kicked Shura away the second he managed to safely crawl onto solid ground, but by then, Shura had already closed his hand around the ledge and did not need Yusuke's leg to pull him up. Shura pulled himself out, the task more difficult than he had expected from all the water absorbed in his clothes, and it had taken him two tries before he succeeded.

Yusuke had collapsed against the ground face-up, breathing hard. He croaked, "Fuck you," when Shura walked over and towered over him, dripping clothes and all.

"You pulled me in. I think we're even," Shura said.

Yusuke laughed and reached out. Shura immediately jumped backward out of his reach, and Yusuke sneered.

Shura bit his lips.

"Go away," Yusuke said, closing his eyes. "Fuck off. I'm so exhausted and done."

"I need a solution, General," Shura said, even as his eyes unwittingly dropped to Yusuke's body. His clothes were tattered even before his arrival and after his swim, they barely managed to cling to his body and preserve his modesty.

Yusuke's eyes parted. "Are you going to toss me into the bath again if I don't give you one?" he asked, his voice blase with a hint of steel even as his last word tremored.

Shura thought back to the amusement he felt as Yusuke suggested letting him go, the regret he had as he kicked Yusuke back in the water, his shit-eating grin as he bested Shura and dragged him under. An idea entered his mind. "Will you listen if I offer you a solution?" he asked.

"You'e just looking for an excuse to torture me, aren't you?" Yusuke asked. "You dragged me here to think up a solution for you, and now you're also offering me a solution to _your_ problem?"

Shura flushed at Yusuke's words. He hesitated for a second, before walking well into Yusuke's reach. Yusuke raised an eyebrow, understandably, because they were both aware that Yusuke was stronger than him. The only reason why Shura managed to keep the upper hand until now was because Shura surprised Yusuke when he pushed him into the water and the weight of the chains dragged Yusuke down. With Shura in reach, Yusuke could easily overpower him if he wanted to. Logically, it made no sense for Shura to put himself at an disadvantage, but Shura needed help and by now, he realized that threats were not the way to get that.

"I admit I was a little too hasty in my action," Shura said, dropping to one knee beside Yusuke. "I do apologize for trying to drown you."

"Is the King supposed to actually apologize to people or get down on his knee?" Yusuke asked, and Shura smiled.

"Oh, we'll be doing more than just that if you agree to my proposal," Shura purred, and Yusuke's eyes widened at the implication.

"You- !" he said, and then fell silent. "You want me to marry you as a hostage to guarantee my platoon's obedience."

"Loyalty works both ways, Yusuke," Shura said, and Yusuke shuddered gently at his caress of his name. "You won't go against me, so long as I have your platoon." Yusuke gave Shura a sharp look and Shura hushed him. "Calm. I did not harm your platoon after you've been captured, have I? I will not unless I am given a reason to."

Yusuke looked away. "You don't have to command for people to take revenge," Yusuke said, and Shura looked at the cuts and bruises that were prominent on Yusuke's body despite it had been weeks since his last battle and capture.

"I promise, on my name and kingdom, that I will not let my people harm yours, if you agree to marry me," Shura said and Yusuke let out a breath.

"You're nuts," he said. "Marrying an enemy? What would your people think?"

Shura smiled, a little grimly. "I think my people already think me crazy. I'm the Fifth Prince with little power or fame to my name besides the small household I have built prior to the war. The war brought the death of my brothers in the line of ascension and when our King died of age, the throne just so happened to literally fall into my lap. The Ministry let me be while the war was going on because they had no other options; I was fighting their battles for them and it would be just so convenient if I died on the battlefield without them expending any effort, but against all odds, I lived and won, and now the chaos and terrors of war are no longer at our doorstep."

His lips curled to a mirthless smile. "I served my use, General. Like an expendable weapon unneeded in the time of peace, this country no longer needs a young unpredictable King who's unexpectedly talented in strategic warfare but has little friends in the Palace. My Sixth Brother, only three months younger than me but has more connections in Palace and among the Ministry, no doubt is already building his army." Shura looked at Yusuke. "I need not opposition at this moment, General, but rather unity and if possible, you and your plantoon's strength. You guys, which had nearly won the battle against us through sheer determination and will. If I could 'tame' you, I can prove my worth to the Ministry, while also buying me some time in gaining more allies."

Shura didn't know how fast his words were spilling out until he finished and stopped. He breathed and Yusuke looked at him.

Finally, Yusuke said, "We had the advantage. We were on our own terrain, we knew how to fight there. But you turned our knowledge against us and ambushed our ambush. It was bloody, it was dirty, but that was war and in the end, you won. And we respect your strength, even if we couldn't your authority, because our loyalty was towards another."

"Your King was a fool," Shura spat, and Yusuke nearly flinched but didn't. "But your people are innocent. I'm not lying when I say I intend to integrate your people and treat them as though my own. Would you let me treat your platoon the same?"

"Through my marriage to you," Yusuke said, and Shura nodded.

"Yes," he said. "I admit, I'm manipulating you and your platoon through this arrangement, but no matter what, remember, you're marrying me, a King. I am giving you the power to stay by my side and ensure that I will keep my word to treat your people fairly."

" _If_ you remain King," Yusuke said and Shura nearly flinched. He had only intended to gain Yusuke's trust and establish that they both needed something from the other, but was it a mistake to reveal all that he had to Yusuke? "I met your Sixth Brother before. He's a coward."

Shura nodded slowly. "Is that an agreement?"

Yusuke looked at him, scanned him in the same slow lingering manner that Shura had before, and then all of a sudden, Shura wondered if maybe Yusuke noticed his action even previously. Finally, he smiled, a broad curl of his lips, and Shura stared.

He yelped as Yusuke dragged him down and in a second, their positions were flipped. Shura was on the ground and Yusuke was above him, hands on either side of his head and the weight of the chain between them lying uncomfortably on his neck.

"Your Majesty!" a cry called from outside upon Shura's yelp, but they had their orders. They were not to enter unless Shura called for them. "Your Majesty, are you okay?!"

"They're going to be concerned if they see this," Shura said calmly from beneath Yusuke. His heart _pounded_ in his chest, but he was not willing to consider betrayal, at least not yet. "Not to mention, no matter what happens in the bedroom, the King should never actually be _seen_ being submissive."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Seen?" he said, as the door rattled.

"I did mention something about King on his knee, didn't I?" Shura said with the quirk of his eyebrow. "I did not grow up under the careful watch of the Palace, unlike the Princes fighting for succession. I've gained a bit of a taste for experimenting."

Yusuke's eyes darkened with lust, even as his gaze darted to the door. "What will you do if I don't get off?" he asked.

"Nothing," Shura admitted. "There is nothing I can do." A cry of, "Your Majesty, please excuse us!" rang into the room, and Shura smiled. "Though they would be a different matter."

The door burst open and then Shura's world whirled. When he came to it, he was on top of Yusuke and Yusuke was supporting him with a hand placed against his chest that looked more like resistance to his advances. Advances, of course, being Shura's lips against Yusuke's mouth and his knee between Yusuke's legs.

The guards spluttered as Shura calmly raised his head, even as he wanted to burst out laughing. Yusuke didn't look any better from the split-second that Shura had glanced at him. "What is it?" Shura asked. "I did say not to come in without my explicit permission, did I not?

"Th - Thousands of apologies, Your Majesty!" the guards exclaimed and rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

Yusuke burst out laughing the moment the door closed, carefully tipping Shura off of him so effortlessly it left him breathless. "Well, I guess that that counts as our engagement party?" he said, and Shura's lips quirked.

"By the end of the day, everyone would know that I tamed General Urameshi Yusuke, the general that bowed to no one that he didn't think deserve it," Shura agreed. He watched as humor leeched out of Yusuke's expression at the reminder of their agreement. Shura tugged at Yusuke and Yusuke went until he was hovering above Shura. "Of course, we know otherwise, don't we?"

"You really would take care of my people and not harm them?" Yusuke asked, gazing down at Shura, and Shura nodded.

"You, too, of course," he said, placing his hand over Yusuke's. "On my name, honor and kingdom, I promise."

Yusuke searched his face, before at last nodding.

"Alright, I'll believe in you," Yusuke said, leaning towards Shura. Shura leaned up to meet him midway and when they finally parted, Yusuke whispered against his lips, eyes on his face, "My King."

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Thanks for reading! This fic is actually inspired by chapter 9 -11 of War Prisoner by Li Hua Yan Yua. War Prisoner is a pretty good Chinese BL novel, so check it out if you'd like, as long as you keep in mind that there's some M rated scenes in War Prisoner, including those chapters that I pointed out as inspiration.


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